Folding combination desk and chair



March 7, 1961 s. R. MICKELSON 2,973,803

FOLDING COMBINATION DESK AND CHAIR Filed April 14, 1959 20 2Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS March 7, 1961 s. R. MlcKELsoN 2,973,803

FOLDING COMBINATION DESK AND CHAIR Filed April 14, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2I INVENTOR Samue/ /W/'c/re/san ATTORNEYS.

Fig. 2; J Fig. is'alside elevation of the partially folded unit;

States.,

atentf 2,973,803 FOLDING COMBINATION DESK AND CHAIR Samuel R. Mickelson,78-84 Prospect St., New Bedford, Mass.

Filed Apr. 14, 1959, Ser. No. 806,294

12 Claims. (Cl. 155-124) My invention relatesto foldable or knockdownfurniture units and it has for its primary object to provide one of suchwhich, when in its set up or operative posi- *tion, .wi1l provide achair and connected table-like desk.

Invention also resides in certain novel features of construction,combination and arrangement of parts, and in modes of operation thereof,as will be readily understood and appreciated by those versed in the artupon reference to the accompanying drawings in connection with detaileddescription thereof to follow.

It should be understood, however, that the particular unit shown in thedrawings is to be taken as illustrative rather than limitative, since itwill be obvious that the invention, in its broader aspects, issusceptible of other mechanical expressions within the spirit and scopeof the subject matter claimed hereinafter.

In the drawings, wherem theV same reference characracters have been usedto designate the same parts Wherever they appear in the several views-Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device set up for use; 1f 3 Fig. 2is a similar view of the unit folded;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig; l, taken from a different angle;

' Fig. 4 is a sideuelevation ofthe device folded'as in Fig. 6 is asection through the desk top;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a side elevational detail view showing the cleat-supportingrung in cross-section.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, numeral 10 designatesa folding straight chair of familiar type which comprises the U-formback member 11 having the sides 11a which provide forward leg extensions11b. The seat 12a is suitably secured to the bight and rearwardlyextending arms 12 of a second U-member 12 which arms are disposedinwardly of and adjacent related -back member-provided sides 11a.

The rear ends of the seat-supporting arms 12 are pivoted as at 13intermediate the ends of related rear chair legs 14, while theintermediate portions of said seatsupporting arms 12 are pivoted as at15 to the adjacent front leg-providing side member 11a. The rear chairlegs 14 are preferably provided by the sides of a third U-member 14a.'Ihe upper end of each of the rear legs 14 is pivoted as at 16 to theouter end of the adjacent one of i member 32 substantially horizontal.

. 20 is supported by opposite side.

two links 18a vwhose vopposite end is pivoted as at 18 to i the adjacentside 11a of the back member 11.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, the chair 10 is of a familiar type and toassume, its folded position the seat 12,*12a is swung clockwise (seeFig. 1) about the forwardlegprovided pivotpoints 15 to lie substantiallybetweenthe seat back-provided side members 11a, as indicated in Fig. 3.draws the rearlegs 14 downwardly and clockwise about the link pivots 18as an axis .so that the rear-legs 14 lie against the front leg-providingside members 11a, 11b,

' as illustrated in Fig. 3. Coming now to the desk or table structureofthe invention, it is seento provide in its operative position,

the preferably rearwardly sloping panelor top 20 having its forwardportion supported by the depending U-member 22 having the. upwardlyextending side legs 22a. These side legs are pivoted as at 23 tobrackets 24 which aresecured'to reinforcing bars 21 that are carried bythe under surface of the desk or table top 20.

The rear portion of the desk or table-providing panel anV invertedL-form leg member 25 having the upper horizontal foot portion 25a whichunderlies the rear portion ofthe panel Z0 and is pivotally securedthereto by the bearing members 26 that are spot Vwelded or otherwisesecured as at 27 tothe aforemeni Vtioned panel-reinforcing bars 21.

Thus, as shown, the panel 20 is supportedby the leg 25 at one side onlyso that the user of the unit'will have convenient access to thechair-provided seat from the 11g of the chair 1 0. The opposite end ofsaid cleat 29 is pivoted as at 31 to the rear ,end of a bar 32 that hasits forward end pivoted as at'33 to a bracket 34 which is pivotedas at35 to the adjacent leg 22a of the U-member 22. It is to be noted that11a, 25, and 432 are received between opposite sides Vof cleat 29.'

Assembly is completed by establishing the lpivot connection 36 between`an intermediate portion of the L- form panel-supporting rear leg 25 anda forward bight-adjacent portion of the proximatechair seatsupporting`arm`12 as indicated. l

It is to be noted that when the device is set up'as in Fig. 1, the cleat29 is supported by the adjacent end of a lower rung llc which connectsthe forward leg portions 11b.y This maintains the swingable cleat member29 in theqFig. l position so as to dispose the leg-connecting'barReferring to the Ytable or desk providing panel per se, the sectionalview, Fig. 6 shows same as comprising'fa stiff rectangular sheet 36having an endless metal border 37. This border 37 is made functionallyintegral by welding, or otherwise, with the top flange 38a of an endlesschannel member 38 which latter has a bottom flange 38b.

The previously mentioned table or desk top-reinforcing" bars 21 areshown as channel-form in cross-section and as having downturned bightend extensions 39. 'Iheser bight end extensions 39 are supported by thebottom flange 38!) of the endless channel member 38 so as to sus-y tainbars 21 and dispose their longitudinal side-provided edges 40 adjacentthe opposed top flange portions 38a of 38, as shown. Bolt and nutassemblies 41 secure the' end extensions 39 of bars 21 to channel member38.

Thus, a very strong and rigid structure is provided, with` reinforcingbars 21 as supports for bearing members y Operation To fold the assemblyinto the Fig. 3 form from the` 1C@n 'patented Mami, isnt Thedescribed'movement 'of the seat 12, 12a

Thelower end ofl thevL-formleg 25 is pivoted as at V28 to theintermediate portion of a swing- Yable cleat 29 which has one endpivoted asY at 30 to the adjacent forwardI leg setup form shown in Fig.2, it is only necessary to grasp the upper end of the chair back 11 withone hand and lift the rear edge of the fdesk top 20 upwardly whileswinging it in a clockwise direction. This causes the seat assembly 12,12a to swing upwardly about 15'as an axis, while actuating the rear legs14 downwardly and in a counter-clockwise direction. The operationdescribed results in the cleat 29 being swung counterclockwise aboutpivot 30 as an axis until the parts are in the Fig. 4 position.

To set the assembly up for use seat from the folded form shown in Fig.4, the operator simply pushes the chair back down and to the left, asseen in Fig. 4, while swinging the table or desk top 20 upwardly in acounterclockwise direction about 25a as an axis. The parts readilyassume the operative position, as will be appreciated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: 1. The combinationwith a folding chair having forward leg-providing side members, anupwardly swingable seat intermediately pivoted to said side membersbetween the ends of the latter, and swingable seat-controlled rear legscarried by said forward leg-providing side members; of a shelf-like desktop, a depending fron-` tal leg member pivoted adjacent the Vforwardedge of said desk top, a depending desk top-carried rear leg member atat least one rear end portion of the latter and pivoted thereto, pivotmeans connecting an intermediate portion of said rear leg member to aforward side portion of said chair seat, a cleat pivoted adjacent oneend to the outer surface of a lower forward chair leg portion, a barhaving one end pivoted to said frontal desk top-supporting leg memberand the other end pivoted adjacent the opposite end of said cleat, andpivot means connecting said rear desk top-carried leg member to anintermediate inner side portion of said cleat whereby when the assemblyis set up for use the lower end of the rear desk top-supporting legmember will be opposed to and closely adjacent to an underlying portionof the adjacent one of the forward chair legs.

2. The structure of claim l, and the frontal desk topsupporting legmember comprising a U-member having its side legs pivoted to said desktop.

3. The structure of claim l, and said rear desk topsupporting leg memberbeing of inverted L-form and having a horizontal foot portion pivoted tothe under surface of said desk top.

4. The structure of claim 1, and the frontal desk topsupporting legmember comprising a U-rnember having4 its side legs pivoted to said desktop, and said rear desk top-supporting leg member being of invertedL-form and having a horizontal foot portion pivoted to the under surfaceof said desk top.

5. The structure of claim 1, and the arrangement of vthe pivoting of thevarious desk parts and the pivotal connection of the assembly of deskparts to the chair 4 being such that when the chair is folded the desktop and rear desk leg will be against the folded chair with frontal deskleg adjacent the rear desk leg.

6. The combination with a front leg and the upwardly folding seat of afolding chair; of a table providing a top member and swingable front andrear leg members carried by said top member, a rear table leg memberbeing shorter than the front leg members and being substantially alignedwith a front chair leg and with a front table leg member, a bar pivotedadjacent one end to said particularly mentioned front table leg memberfor movement toward and away from said chair, a cleat having oppositeends pivoted to said particularly mentioned front chair leg and to thefree end of said bar, means pivoting the lower end of said shortenedrear table leg to an intermediate portion of said cleat, and meanspivoting an intermediate portion of said shortened rear table leg to oneside of said chair seat adjacent the forward end of the latter.

7. The structure of claim 6, and the frontal desk top-supporting legmember comprising a U-member having its side legs pivoted to said desktop.

8. The structure of claim 6, and said rear desk topsupporting leg memberbeing of inverted L-form and having a horizontal foot portion pivoted tothe under surface of said desk top.

9. The structure of claim 6, and the frontal desk topsupporting legmember comprising a U-member having its side legs pivoted to said desktop, and said rear desk top-supporting leg member being of invertedL-form and having a horizontal foot portion pivoted to the undervsurface of said desk top.

10. The structure of claim 6, and the arrangement of the pivoting of thevarious desk parts and the pivotal connection of the assembly of deskparts to the chair being such that when the chair is folded, the. desktop and rear desk leg will be against the folded chair with frontal deskleg adjacent the rear desk leg.

11. The structure of claim 1, and a cross member connecting forwardchair leg portions in underlying relationship to an intermediate portionof said cleat, whereby to be in a position to support the latter whenthe assembly is set up for use.

12. The structure of claim 6, and a cross member connecting forwardchair leg portions in underlying relationship to an intermediate portionof said cleat, whereby to be in a position to support the latter whenthe assembly is set up for use.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

